MCCC Holds First Relay for Life

With over $14,000 raised and over 150 participants, is projected to be one of the most successful Relay for Life events held at a community college, and it’s the first year the college is hosting the event.

The college is holding a 12-hour Relay for Life program, beginning on Friday, April 29, and ending on Saturday, April 30. The event includes the relay itself, but the Relay for Life committee has plans for games, activities and even a movie during the event.

MCCC student Joshua Schwartz, a cancer survivor himself, said cancer has affected so many lives on campus that he wanted to do something to honor those affected and help raise money for cancer research.

The committee has gotten the entire campus involved in Relay for Life. They held two “Paint The Campus Purple” events, where even the student and faculty online portal was colored purple for the day. Committee members have spoken with students, faculty and staff to get everyone excited and involved.

Through the coordination of the Relay for Life committee, MCCC students, faculty and staff that are cancer survivors are sharing their stories via internal email and the college’s Relay for Life site.

“We want to bring a face to cancer,” said Schwartz.

MCCC's Relay for Life will begin with a cancer survivor and caregiver lap as part of its opening ceremonies April 29 at 6 p.m.

The relay's "Ceremony of Hope" begins at 11 p.m. During the ceremony, luminaria, which can be purchased to honor loved ones affected by cancer, will be lit to spell “hope” on the quad. 

Pennsylvania singer and songwriter Robin Smith will perform during the ceremony, and Barbara Shaeffer will be the keynote speaker.

After Shaeffer finishes, she will light a candle using the event candle, and she will then light all the survivors' and caregivers' candles, who will light the rest of the walkers' candles. Once this is finished, everyone will do a lap with their candles lit.

“We want them to walk away remembering our Ceremony of Hope,” said Schwartz.

Schwartz said the top team is Nightingals & Guys, composed of nursing students, faculty and staff from the college. With more than 30 members, the team has raised over $3,500.

The entire Relay for Life event is open to the public, and the college encourages teams to register online to walk or to come and support the teams April 29 and 30. More information can be found on the college’s Relay for Life website, including a full schedule of events, ways to donate, survivor stories and more.

“For Montgomery County Community College to be one of the first successful community college Relay for Life events in its first year, that’s a real honor,” said Schwartz.